Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-11-18
Welded AT A WASH.TUB.
Western Clergyman Relates Some of
HIS Most Amusing Experlences.

ana was about fOrtv-seyen years ago.
1t was pleasant October evening. and
| was sitting by good. big fire in q
q little log house. just recovering from a
two months tussle with infammatory
rheumatism. Although l had come
out of the struggle victor, yet the
. severe contest had left my body and
and limbs in a dilapidated condition,
while my summers work had brought
me little corn or less cash. So my
financial affairs were in about as bad
condition as my swollen limbs. My
rheumatism compelled me to reln-
quish the school that l had contracted
to teach through the winter, thus ren-
dering my prospects for a supply of
bread and butter through the cold sea-
son quite precarious.
While l sat bordering over those un-
pleasant facts, studying how to get the
next sack of flour, two couples of
young people of the neighborhood
walked in. After few commonplace
remarks. one of the young men whis-
pered to me asking me whether
would marry him to one of those girls
Ind take my pay in wheat Five min
utes later the husband and wife
walked out to commence battling with
The realities of partnership for life.
The customary fee for marrying was
one dollar, and the price of wheat
then was fifty cents bushel A few
weeks after this the man brought mo
bushel and three pecks of wheat,
and promised to bring the other peck
as soon as his employer threshed it
out never saw the wheat or man
afterward.
The next job l had in that line was
in better style, but less romantic. The
man in this affair was we'll polished
and in good circumstances. He was a
doctor and owned grocery and
worked farm. The woman was liv-
ing in his fathers family as maid of all
work. He wanted to be married, but
was not particular about the day or
hour-any time when l had business
that way might call and fix them up.
A few days afterward 1 called at his
home and found him hard at work on
big load of hay. He requested me to
go into the house and wait till he had
pitched off the load. | did so. and
found his girl over wash tub. and up
to her elbows in suds and dirty clothes.
She continued working and chatting
till the man came in, when she rinsed
of her hands, rolled down her sleeves,
and they stepped out for the ceremony.
he without coat. and they were soon
legally spliced together. We then
spent half hour or less at a lunch,
made up of bread, cheese. Goldfish and
water-nothing more. Ireceived So. so
in groceries for that job.
These occurrences show the different
tastes of people, and serve as spice in
the more solid realities of live; but |
have one to describe that was a
was little too real to be pleasurable.
1t occurred away up among the forests
of Northern New York, when that
country was new. Houses were then
all made of logs, and, instead of cup
boards and safes. these were broad.
long shelves suspended from the up
per joints, on which milk-pans cooked
food. etc. were kept. The milk-pans
were earthen, and held one or two
gallons. The wedding to which l refer
was in one of the ''tirst families, which
was every way respectable. was not
an actor, but an uncle of mine, who
bore my name. was the officiating
Clergyman. At these weddings din
"a ~
principal items was a fat chicken pot
pie. And nobody knew better than
those Yankee women how to make
one. On this occasion the large room
was filed with merry kinsfolks and
neighbors. And while the ceremony
was being performed and congratula-
tons and kisses exchanged the big pot
was hanging over the fire, and the
chickens and their furnishings were
boiling and throwing off steam that
made score or more of mouths water
in anticipation If the feast
The long table was covered with
white cloths and shining dishes, and at
the proper time the new brides mother
swung out the crane. and set the pot
upon the hearth and filled one of the
large pans with the steaming pie.
Thus far every thing had passed off
smoothly. but when the woman at
tempted to lift the precious load upon
the table the pan broke through the
middle and left the contents on the
hearth. In hopes of saving a part of
it, the woman reached up to the shelf
to get another pan, but instead of get
ting an empty ono she caught hold of
one full of milk. aud with Jerk
brought it off the shelf As it left the
shelf the pan and its contents fell
directly on the head and shoulders of
the preacher. who was sitting under.
will not attempt to describe what fol- |
lowed. Indianapolis M
The Are of inep papar